Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Adding citric acid (PH) and butylene glycol (freezing) to the formulation

  • Adding citric acid (PH) and butylene glycol (freezing) to the formulation

    Posted by NoviceKarel on March 12, 2019 at 7:54 am

    Hi everybody!

    Writing to this forum 2nd time since the 1st one was very helpful.

    I am trying to make a cosmetic product ( face/body mask) which main ingredient is natural sea mud ( 94% minerals, 5% organics, 1% carbonates).

    My formulating goal is to get control over the natural mud odor, viscosity, stability, and microbial activity.

    There has been A LOT of failed formulations and some better ones. So far most successful for my preference is the following : 

    Mud - 92,5%
    Glycerin - 7%
    Xantham gum - 0.1%
    Jojoba oil - 0.4%
    Calluna Vulgaris aroma oil - 1 drop

    Glycerin and xantham being mixed separately and then added to mud.

    For the microbes I will add 0,5 - 1% phenoxyethanol/dehydroacetic acid or I will go to gamma irradiation with cobalt 60, but before doing so I will have to lower the PH of the formula from ~7 to 5.5 and make it stable in terms of freezing.

    I am thinking of adding citric acid for PH and butylene glycol in terms of not freezing.

    Has anyone had experience mixing citric acid or butylene glycol with organics?
    Do you think there might be any chance of success? 

    The reason why I cannot try it for myself yet is that I have to wait for the ingredients to arrive for 5 more days.

    Most grateful for the feedback!

    Karel

    NoviceKarel replied 5 years ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • gunther

    Member
    March 13, 2019 at 1:03 am

    Maybe boiling sea mud to kill off bacteria, and then rinsing it with clean water to get rid of odorous substances?

  • NoviceKarel

    Member
    March 13, 2019 at 4:55 pm

    Hi!

    Thermo processing is unfortunately out of question since good fulvic, amino and humic acids will be destroyed over 45 degrees and I want them to stay. 

    Well, not much to wait anymore.

    Also on another subject, what would be good alternative for lowering PH from 7 to 5.5 instead of citric acid? Lactic? 

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